Bubble blowing machine



Feb. 16, 1954 o. DMCNEILL BUBBLE BLowING .MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June l 1950 5i? 52E/:Janina Zim-1517 I7. HQE/'E115 5'@ Ji-@ i- Feb- 16, 1954 o. D. MCNEILL 2,669,659

BUBBLE BLOWING MACHINE Filed June l, 1950 2 ShGeJCS-SlC-)Q 2 E Q Era/Ezine XFUED 27. .M/VEEL Patented Feb. 16, 1954 assenso Gasforel.` Douglas McNeill, @crest Hill;- Giltario, Galaad-a, as'sigaiox'.' to Colg'ateelalmolivel- Comi-J.'

nena. Jessen with.`

duale.' JL, @corporation dindes 1; This invention) is for improvements on 13e--u loting to bubble blo-Wing devices which are operable automatically: to' forml bubbles continugmlyV from a l'maformmg bubble liquid.

More particularly; the invention relates` tov devices; ot the type which a plurality off apertures are moved succession into con Wit agfflm-form'ingbubbl'ei liquid to entrain bU ble'etorming films across the apertures and thence mond succession to an airdeliveryu station where air` is' blown across; thea ap crturesl to create they bubbles.

An; obiectof' the invention isto provide a compact. device of the iJy-pedescribed which ispaie titularis@ suitablel for transportable displays, i. e. is capable or? satisfactory operation when mounted ion' moxement as a Whole. for? example, upon a truck. carry-ing' advertising; intellrgence V'initier which conditionsr movement or' ijfbel surrounding airwfith respect to they device may adversely affect etlicient bubble' formation.

According; to one aspect or the rinvention a bun ble blower comprises a.- tanlrforconfsainingy a frigiforming bubble liquid, aniair-deliverystation exterior tothe' tank, aj bubble-nlm ent/raining struc ture including: a plurality off film-forming ape;`v tures. .disposed about .said structurein none ccplanar' relationship with eachVVV other, and means forl'movingf said structure to advance the said apertures .eachA along a path which' passes below a liqudflevcl thetank andfto the:vicinityy Qi the airedelivery stat-ion.

a priordevice .of the type described, inlin- .ihmllg apertures have been arranged vertical ecplanet relationship; such a cosplanar. .ma :Y

Iflimlt @if the. lmefiorming apertures, howl-e eren .sometimes aires rise to diiculties in the satisfactory production of bubbles- Ywhen: the;l .de- .exposed ,to crossfcurrents ofA ain as.,4 `tot example when transported bvtruk. Ineens tredistutipn t0 prier device, it, is, mund thatthe-anenfccplaner arrangement of tnenlme forming apertures in ecco nce with ,the vention, shows little Qrrele tor ymQverirlei1--t @if t e thelbubbleicrmat. n-

.I il@ e.. bit l priced reliably, the' flrnr'i ryraey inganerturesareiccntained gbvncneor: morerctors being; ldisposed about the axis of rotationl there; ofiinzfnonecoplanar Arelationsl'li-pwith one'-.anotl1er,y

meanseing .previdedto move the rotonorgrotors jtoudvnee the Ia.-perturesin the pathwhichi-passes a cie-rms. (or. me

of" the air deliveryf station,

l-.urthenfeaturesv of the: invention will appear from the. followingdescription describin, a preferred embodiment of= the invention, by, way. of* exam-ple, with. reference to.. the` accompanying drawings., which:

Y la is1 a top plan View orv the bubble-blowingy device with par-t broken away to. show; the internal structur;

Figure 2f. is a. iront elevati-on' ofl the. device; Figure 3 is a side` elevation, and A Figure 4 isi a View sirnilarftor that of. Eigure; l, of an alternativeernboliment or the invention.

Referring to the dravviugs':

The device shown' in. Eig-lires 1:,= 2: andi 31 includes a Huid tank Iii', forl containing` a bubble forming liquid, having a removable over I-jthe tank and its coven being preterablyfmade of= stainless steel.` At iter-ear, th tank I I has a Wall I3 which carriles an integralvertic'al extension #3d at the rear of which4 a boxelikel housing IIIv is ysecured above the tank by bolts.l l5 passing through peripheral iangesv at ver-tical margins: of a front opening into'. the housing. The'housingv UIy is preferably'made off aludninum and has a'n open bottom;

The Wall I 3 and its vertical extension constitutea suppopting; panel for. the operative parts ci the device, asfollovcse VA-pla'inbearing H extends through a centrally disposed opening in the panel t3, I'Sa Ap-roectzing over the taule' Iy I- andis bolted position through an integrali flange. A horizontal shaft I8 is journall'ed fori rotation Within the bearingd Il, @nur 'fr being fixed o. @ne @ne ef sie than where it `overlies the tank II and a nbre-faced gear Wheel Z0 being secured to the other endof che shaft behind the vpanel |13, 13a'. Sixradial spokc`s-2 I project symmetrically from th'e'hub' IQ Figures l andv f3', the spokes 2l are .fixed to the bandit lclose' to the for-ward edge thereof. The hub I9, spokes-2l and band '2.2 constitute a bubble-film entraining' structure, or rotor,v which dips below the liquid level in thel tank II-, the I 'iighvlevel .of whioh should preferably' not exceed thei'level indicated :by: theiline 24 .inEigure It has been found'thet Successful bubble @mation can bevachievedcvsiith circular apertures 'ift hav-5 me@ einem dreamer, spaced @n O-f centres, Vwithy a rotordiameter ofv y5 inches, SI2-he asados@ from the rear of the panel I3, I3a. Drive from the motor 26 is transmitted through an intermediate pinion 21 on the motor shaft to 'a gear wheel 28 integral with a second pinion 2li-which in turn drives the gear wheel 20. and pinion 29 are supported for rotation in a bearing member secured to the panel I3, I3a. The gear ratio and motor speed is such that the iinal The gear 28 speed of the rotor structure is approximately 60A R. P. M. which has been found in practice to` be an eiective operating speed in the present arrangement.

An elliptical aperture is provided in the panel I3a, through which projects a circular air-duct 3B forming the delivery nozzle of a motor and fan assembly 3l supported by a bracket from the rear of the panel I3a. The duct 3i) is inclined to the panel at an angle of approximately 45 in both the outward and downward directions, as shown in Figures l and 3, and terminates forwardly in an internal sleeve 32 which may be adjusted longitudinally of the duct Sil and secured in adjusted position by a set screw 32'. The motor and fan assembly 3l serves to deliver air through the duct 30 and sleeve 32 to a region close to the rotor band 22 which may be adjusted by the setting of the sleeve 32. The for- Ward end of the sleeve 32 thus constitutes an airdelivery station. Owing to the inclined disposition of the duct 3D and internal sleeve, air is delivered through the panel I3a slantwise of the axis of the rotor structure so as to pass upwardly and outwardly through the apertures 23. The speed of the motor and fan assembly 3l is regulated so that the quantity and velocity of the air delivered through the duct 3B produces large quantities of bubbles at the given rotor speed while not being so violent as to disrupt the bubble films prior to bubble formation.

In the operation of the device the rotor assembly rotates in a clockwise direction (as viewed in Figure 2), the apertures 23 each moving along a path which passes below the liquid level in the tank I I and thence to the vicinity of the forward end of the air-delivery duct 30. An anticlockwise rotation of the rotor assembly may, however, be employed. As each aperture leaves the bubble liquid in the tank I I, it entrains with it a bubble iilm which is then blown into one or more bubbles in its further movement past the end of the duct 30 and a continuous production of bubbles ensues.

The apertures 23, being formed in the surface of the cylindrical band 22, are arranged in noncoplanar relationship with one another. This arrangement, as explained previously minimizes the eiect of movement of the surrounding air in disturbing, and possibly breaking, the bubble iilms prior to their presentation at the air-delivery aperture.

To minimize oscillation of the bubble-forming liquid in the tank I I when the device is arranged as a transportable display, the tank II is provided with a forward vertical baffle 33 which extends the length of the tank from an upper edge lying below and closely adjacentto thelid I2,

4 to a lower edge which is clear of the bottom of the tank as shown in Figure 2. The baille 33 is secured through anges 34 and 35, as by soldering, to opposite end Walls of the tank. Further vertical baiiies 33, 31 extend inwardly from opposite end walls of the tank rearwardly of the rotor 22 and terminate short of the bearing I'I. Baiiies 36 and 31 have upper edges lying closely below the lid I2 and terminate in lower flanges .33 and 39 respectively, which are secured to the .bottom of the tank. Side flanges lill, 4I also secure the outer ends of the baliies 38, 39 to the end walls of the tank II.

The alternative embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 4 is similar to the construction already described except that two rotor structures are used, each being associated with a separate air duct and motor-fan assembly.

In Figure 4 similar reference numerals are used for parts in that gure which are similar to thosez parts shown in Figures 1 to 3.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that a second rotor structure is provided comprising anv apertured cylindrical band 22a supported similarly to band 22 by spokes projecting symmetrically from a hub I9a. A second air duct 30a having an adjustable sleeve 32a extends rearwardly through the panel I3a from a point close to the rotor band 22 and forms part of a second motor and fan assembly Sla. The operation of the device of Figure 4 is similar to that already described in connection with the rst embodiment of the invention, but, in including two rotor structures, is capable of the production of a greater quantity of bubbles in a given time than the first embodiment of the invention.

While the invention has been described, for the purpose of illustration, with reference to specific embodiments employing one or more cylindrical band rotors, it should be understood that various changes in detail may be made, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art, within the scope of the invention.

For example, it is not essential that the rotor assembly be mounted for rotation about a concentric shaft I8 as shown. The hub I9 or hubs I9, IQa could alternatively be disposed in eccentric relationship with respect to the band 22, or bands 22, 22a. Further, the use of one or more cylindrical bands is not essential; they may be replaced, for example, by an equivalent framework comprising arms carrying dipping rings which rings are so disposed that they lie in noncoplanar relationship with each other. While continuous rotational movement of the rotor is preferred, it is also within the ambit of the invention to employ driving means such that the rotor structure oscillates backwards and forwards (by a suitable conventional arrangement of the driving gearing) to bring the nlm-forming apertures alternately below the liquid level in the tank Il and to the vicinity of the air-delivery station or stations. I l

What I claim as my invention is: f

l. A bubble blower comprising, a tank for containing a film-forming bubble liquid, a hub means for supporting the hub for rotation within the tank, a hollow thin-walled cylindrical rotor supported from said hub in concentric relationship therewith with a chordal segment of the rotor below a liquid level in the tank, said rotor having a plurality of hlm-forming apertures in the cylindrical wall thereof, an air-delivery station exterior to the tank, a motor for rotating said hub and rotor to advanceY said aperture succes.-

sively beneath the liquid level in the tank. a motor-driven blower to deliver air to said station, and means to direct air from said station slantwise across said rotor from the inside to the outside thereof through said apertures.

2. A bubble blowing machine Which comprises a hollow rotatable bubble-film entraining rotor having a cylindrical surface and a plurality of film-forming apertures in and opening through the cylindrical surface, a driven shaft attached to the rotor and coaxial with the cylindrical axis of the latter, a tank adapted to contain a nlm-forming bubble liquid operatively positioned to enclose a chordal segment of the rotor below a liquid level in the tank, a motor, means operatively connecting the motor to the shaft and to the rotor to advance said apertures continuously in succession along an orbital path which passes beneath the liquid level in the tank, the apertures entraining' the liquid in the form of films, means producing a draft of air, and means directing the draft of air through the apertures in said rotor from the inside to the outside thereof in a direction slantwise of the cylindri* cal axis of the latter to produce bubbles from said films.

3. A bubble blower comprising, a hollow rotor having a cylindrical surface mounted for rotation Aabout an axis, a plurality of film-forming apertures in and opening through the cylindrical surface of the rotor, a tank for containing a film-forming bubble liquid, said tank being operatively positioned to submerge a portion of the cylindrical surface of said rotor and the apertures therein below a liquid level in the tank, an air delivery station adjacent to another portion of the cylindrical surface of said rotor and the apertures therein above said liquid level, motor means moving said rotor along an orbital path which passes below the liquid level in the tank and to the vicinity of the air delivery station, and means directing air from said station slantwise to the axis of rotation of said rotor from the inside to the outside thereof through said apertures for producing bubbles.

4. A bubble blower comprising, a movable bubble-film entraining structure having an axis of lrotation and a plurality of Hlm-forming apertures disposed about said structure, said apertures being so oriented as to lie substantially on a right cylindrical surface, a tank for containing a nlm-forming bubble liquid, said tank being operatively positioned to enclose a portion of said structure and the apertures therein below a liquid level in the tank, an air delivery station adjacent to another portion of said structure and the apertures therein above said liquid level, motor means moving said structure along a path which passes below the liquid level in the tank and to the vicinity of the air delivery station, and means directing air'from said station slantwise to the axis of rotation of said structure and through said apertures for producing bubbles.

OXFORD DOUGLAS McNEILL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,733,478 Warham Oct. 29, 1929 2,133,499 Dolan Oct. 18, 1938 2,412,732 Holman Dec. 17, 1946 2,452,794 Saachy -..1.--- Nov. 2, 1948 

